PTSD
by HelloKitty1234567890
Summary: The SVU Detectives are back this time with a whole different challenge to face. Rated M for later chapters... As always please review, constructive criticism is always needed...
1. Chapter 1

" _When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems you cannot hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the time and place that the tide will turn" –_ _ **Harriet Beecher Stowe.**_

Everyone copes with things in their own way. Some scream and shout, some bottle thing up, some find solace in things that can only make their predicament worse. Some suffer in silence, so trapped in their own minds that escape appears impossible. PTSD is hell. No two ways about it, having PTSD can ruin someone's life. There are so many things that can cause a person to suffer from this terrible affliction. War. Violence. Loss. Once consumed it is one hell of a climb back out of the depths of despair. Some never make it back. Those that do should be admired. Someone once said that life just happens, but that's bullshit. If life just happened, then anyone who had suffered in their life would give up, and put it down to one of those things that they couldn't control. Yeah, not everything in life can be planned, and terrible things happen when they shouldn't. But everyone has a choice. Shut yourself away and give up or fight like hell to become stronger, better. And that is a choice that I sincerely hope you never have to make.

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Melissa sat in the corner of the room shaking like a leaf, rocking back and forward as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Half naked, covered in bruises and cuts and unable to talk she just sat. She could feel their eyes on her, burning in to her and it scared her more. Their eyes said 'get on with it', 'I've been through worse', and were full of contempt for her and she trembled. That's what terrified her. Not just what had happened, but what she could only imagine would follow. There are times in every girl's life where they just need someone to wrap their arms around them, hold them close and tell them that everything will be ok. Melissa needed this more than ever now, but she knew that she was being foolish. No one was coming. Why would they? She was no one, just like the rest.

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Olivia looked down at the broken form at her feet. She sighed.

"Come on Brian, I thought you said you wanted to get back into shape," she exclaimed as he panted on the ground, clutching his hamstring, feigning agony.

He continued to play up his 'injury' as she rolled her eyes, but eventually she helped him up and they sat down on a nearby bench. Still gasping for air he managed to say, "damn Liv, are you trying to kill me?"

She rolled her eyes again and responded playfully, "I didn't know you were so unfit, maybe we'll have to revise our evening's plans, I don't want your heart to give out on me now." She gave him a wink as she said it.

He pulled her closer and nuzzled his face into her neck. "I'm sure I'll be fighting fit for that," he murmured as he took in her scent, the feel of her against him and allowed the love he felt to overcome him.

She giggled and swatted his wandering hands away jokingly, "save it for later tiger! Come on let's get you home before you take me right here…" She looked at him and took in the beetroot red colour of his face and added, "… or pass out." She took his hand and helped him off the bench, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and they briskly began to walk back towards their apartment.

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Amanda and Charlotte sat in a busy bar, two beers sitting in front of them. They laughed and joked, eyeing up the cute guys who kept looking over at them. Amanda had long since got over her dislike of the petite brunette sat opposite her, even if she was the symbol of perfection. Charlotte couldn't help but admire Amanda, with her strong will, her drive to succeed and her 'seemingly' uncomplicated life. Not that anyone's life is completely without complications. They hadn't hit it off at first but had fast become inseparable once they had begun to understand each other. The two men at the other end of the bar smiled at them as the bartender placed two mojitos in front of them. Charlotte and Amanda smiled back and accepted the drinks.

"Which one do you want," Amanda giggled to Charlotte.

"The blonde, he looks like he's know what he's doing," she chuckled in reply.

Amanda laughed and both women shared a smile as the men approached them. Conversation flowed easily between the four of them and they laughed and joked, enjoying the company. The group consumed several more drinks in the next couple of hours and were beginning to feel slightly buzzed.

The bar was becoming more and more crowded and eventually Charlotte and Amanda decided it was time to move on. They thanked their new found friends for their drinks and bade them goodnight before leaving the bar. As they stepped out onto the sidewalk they looked for somewhere else to continue their night, but realising that they were more drunk than they had first thought decided to go their separate ways and head home.

Not seeing a cab anywhere they began to walk in the direction of the subway, thinking only that they wanted to curl up in bed and get a good nights' rest after the week they had had. But as they walked they were unaware that they were being watched.

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Nick looked down at the sleeping child that was his daughter and was struck by just how perfect she was. By how much he missed her when she wasn't there. His ex-wife had moved to Los Angeles, taking Zara with her and that meant that he didn't see her nearly as much as he wanted. He missed her so much when she wasn't there it was like a physical ache and then when she visited he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could and he would often find himself watching her sleep, taking in all of her little mannerisms, every physical feature and think about all he was missing in her life. She was the single most important thing in the world to him, she was his little girl, his princess. And it broke his heart every time he had to say goodbye.

Eventually he left the room, shutting the door behind him, allowing her to sleep peacefully. He looked at his watch and decided that he would have a beer and watch the late night movie. It would be a little while before Maria called to see how their daughter was and he didn't want to dwell on how he had lost her, how his paranoia and lack of trust had driven them apart. If he did that he felt like he was going crazy and he really wanted to move on. Maria had accepted their divorce and it was about time that he did too. He checked his phone again and was disappointed to see that he had no text messages or missed calls. Not that he was waiting on a message from anyone in particular.

He had fallen asleep on the couch halfway through, what the description had professed to be, a brilliant film and was awoken by the sound of Maria's ringtone blaring loudly. He came to with a jump and yawning said, "hello Maria."

They had the same conversation they always had about Zara, what she and Nick had done with their day, was she missing her mom, was she going to bed at the right time, was she eating right and was she having fun. They typically stayed on the topic of Zara as most other things provoked an argument. Maria had a fiery temper and Nick was still bitter that she had taken his daughter to live at the other end of the country. They so badly wanted to remain on good terms for Zara's sake so it was better if they didn't discuss anything that would cause a shouting match. Maria ended the call telling him that she would arrive on Friday to take Zara back home and truth be told he was dreading the moment once more when he would have to kiss his daughter goodbye.

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Footsteps clicked against the cement floor as they walked up and down the room, glaring at each occupant of the cold, dark room in turn. They were all terrified, afraid of what torture was to come next. All they had wanted to do was to work, none of them had had the best start in life and were only trying to earn a living. None of them had expected this. Each girl breathed deeply as the clicking footsteps passed in front of them, each terrified of being grabbed and roughly dragged from the room. Some of the girls gripped each other's hands tight, having formed a protective bond around each other, but that bond would easily be broken if it meant surviving. The click was a sound that every single girl in that room had nightmares about. That they would be haunted by for the rest of their lives, however long they may be. Some sounds, some memories, some experiences never leave. This one never would.

A rough hand reached out and grabbed the back of the smallest, youngest girl's neck. She was pulled out into the aisle, the light from the door hitting her, showing the bruises, scars and cuts that covered her tiny frame. She shook in fear and with cold, trying to contain a whimper. They didn't like it when they whimpered. Her eyes were on the floor, as she had been conditioned to do, as a sign of respect, although what she was respecting she didn't know. The hand gripped her arm much harder than necessary and lead her from the room, and forcefully shoved her through another door and into a well-furnished room with a giant bed. She looked in distaste at the outfit that lay on the bedspread. A tiny pink dress which would barely cover her ass and so tight it showed of every single curve. It left nothing to the imagination, but then again her purpose was not to provide a chase. An air of mystery. It was to lie back and allow her client to finish, so her boss could make lots of money.

But suddenly, she realised she couldn't do it anymore. That she had to get out. Even if it killed her. She scanned the room, knowing that she still had some time before her company arrived. Finding what she was looking for she scribbled a note on a scrap of paper and stuffed it down her chest to hide it. Then she looked at the door. Fear gripped her and her breathing became erratic, she couldn't believe what she was thinking of doing. She placed her hand on the door knob and took one deep calming breath, before she opened it and looked the corridor up and down. Seeing it was deserted she crept, quiet as a mouse to the left, towards where she knew the main entrance to her prison was. Not making a sound, she somehow, miraculously, managed to avoid all of the guards and staff. Seeming far too good to be true she pulled open the main door, something that was no easy task due to the fact it was made of reinforced steel, and went out, breathing in fresh air for the first time in six months. Sneaking along the perimeter of the brick building, she kept to the shadows, until she saw a clump of trees. Making for the tree line she ran, unaware that someone on the roof had seen her. She heard a loud bang, before she felt searing pain and fell to the ground. Blood gushed from her shoulder and she cried out in agony but pushed herself to her feet and forced herself to keep going. Another bang, this time catching her in the thigh and once more she fell to the ground. Tears streaming down her face she dragged her body along the concrete and into the cover of the treeline, taking care to stay hidden from view. She could hear their shouts and the sound of footsteps behind her so she pulled her battered body into a bush and lay there. Praying for the end to come.


	2. Chapter 2

"The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one ends and the other begins?" – **Edgar Allan Poe**

It was dark. So dark. And cold. So damn cold. She shivered as she lay, silent and bleeding. She could not tell whether she was dead or alive, all she could see was black. And pain. She prayed that this wasn't the afterlife, because surely death was meant to take away pain and suffering, yet she could still feel and it was hell. She could no longer hear a sound, the pain had long since taken care of that. Frequently she drifted in and out of consciousness, and quite frankly the times when she was unconscious were a blessing. Death was not meant to be slow, painful, fearful and solitary. Finally the pain became too much, every movement agony, even the slightest breath. She finally fell into an unconsciousness that she would be lucky ever to wake from.

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Olivia strode into her squad room with a smile on her face. 8am and she had spent the majority of the previous night have the most mind-blowing sex of her life. Carrying a tray of coffee and a bag full of breakfast pastries she approached her desk, noting that the rest of the team were already in the seats. Amanda looked like hell, like she hadn't slept. Charlotte, as usual, looked immaculate. Fin and Nick were their usual selves, Fin grinning cheekily across at his partner.

"Late night Amanda," he asked, throwing a scrunched up piece of paper in her direction as she almost dozed off right before their eyes.

She jumped, picked up the paper and threw it back, mumbling something about noisy neighbours. Nick struggled to contain a smile, which luckily went unnoticed by the rest of the squad. Charlotte sashayed over to pass out the coffee and caught a rookie officer staring her way. She flashed him her most dazzling smile and raised an eyebrow as he collided with a filing cabinet. His face flushed red and Charlotte lowered her eyes, not trusting herself to keep from laughing. Olivia caught her eye and smiled, before hiding back behind her computer screen. It always amused her to see how Charlotte could turn any man into a nervous wreck by just being in her presence.

"Um... Detective Van Horne," the police officer asked, recovering himself, "this was left at reception for you."

He handed her a parcel which accepted with a nod and another smile. She looked at it with caution, she had not been expecting anything.

"What's that," Amanda asked peering over her laptop.

Charlotte just shook her head and ripped it open. Inside was a photo album. She opened it and flicked through the photographs. Her face grew darker and darker as she looked at each one and she jumped when Amaro appeared at her shoulder and asked, "anything interesting?"

Hurriedly she threw the album in her desk door and locked it replying, "nothing important."

The rest of the team gave each other a look but said nothing. They knew Charlotte hated her private life becoming public, but sometimes it was just irritating how secretive she was.

The sound of Olivia's phone ringing broke the awkward silence. "Benson... Yeah... Where... Oh God... Yeah... Sure... Yeah, we'll be right there..." She hung up and turned to her team, "we gotta go guys, a girls been attacked and shot."

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The two police vehicles pulled up at the crime scene thirty minutes later. Jumping out of the car they approached where their victim had been found. Seeing the ME Melinda Warner they approached her.

"What's the cause of death Melinda," Olivia asked.

Melinda looked at her, shocked, "you don't know do you?"

"Know what?"

"She's not dead. The first officer on the scene thought she was because she was cold, unconscious and not breathing. When I got here I established that she was hypothermic and would have died in the few hours if she hadn't been found. She was lucky."

"Lucky? How so doc," Amaro asked.

"Well, she had two gunshot wounds, one in the shoulder, the other in the thigh. The hypothermia slowed down the bleeding so that she didn't bleed to death. So it turns out that almost freezing to death actually worked in her favour."

"Signs of sexual assault," Rollins asked, looking around at the scene.

"Bruising and blood on the thighs, but judging by the outfit I would say that there was a strong possibility that she was a sex worker. She looks no more than fifteen."

There was a collective shudder around the team. Olivia considered for a moment before she spoke. "What hospital is she at," she asked Melinda.

"She hasn't gone yet, the EMTs are about to take her just now," Melinda replied, pointing through the trees to a dirt track.

"Right, Charlotte, I want you to go to the hospital with the vic, Amaro and Rollins I want you to start documenting the scene with Fin and I will follow the ambulance. Right?"

The team gave their individual responses of agreement and split up to complete their assigned tasks. Charlotte had to break into a run to catch the EMTs, and the one who had climbed into the back of the bus stared as he extended his hand to help her inside.

As Charlotte settled herself into the seat beside the gurney the paramedic extended his hand, "hi, I'm Paul," he said, almost shyly.

"Detective Van Horne," she replied as she accepted his hand, "but you can call me Charlotte."

The girl on the stretcher groaned suddenly and the paramedic jumped into action, checking her vital signs. Once he was satisfied he sat back down.

"Is she going to be alright," Charlotte asked him, staring down at the face of the young girl.

"We'll know more when we get to the hospital but I think she'll recover. Once we get her warmed up and her wounds dealt with."

Charlotte took her hand. "I promise, I will find out who did this to you," she promised.

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Amanda, Nick and Fin began their search at the place the girl had been dragged to. She had been left on the edge of a pond, half in the water, half out.

"God the water is freezing," Amanda commented, "that poor girl."

From the water they followed the drag marks about a half mile and they came to a stop at a clump of bushes in the trees. From the way that the branches and leaves were disturbed it was clear to them that she had hidden there for a period of time.

Amaro noticed blood drops leading to the bush. He pointed, "is anyone getting the feeling that she was running from someone?"

Fin crouched down, considering the drops for a second, "she was coming from that direction," he said pointing to the right. "One of you call CSU and stay, make sure they document these properly."

Fin and Rollins continued to follow the droplets, taking care not to disturb any. They continued for a further half a mile until they reached two large pools of blood about 100 feet apart.

"This is where she was shot," Amanda said. "Brave little thing to keep running like that, she must have been in agony."

"And desperate," Fin added.

"Do you think she was running from there," Amanda asked, pointing at a warehouse guarded by barbed wire topped fences. After calling Amaro to send a CSU officer to record the blood tracks, and a uniformed officer to guard the evidence they continued to the building. Amanda noticed the gap in the fence, just small enough for a young girl to squeeze through. They noticed fibres on the chain, as though someone's clothing had ripped as they crawled through. Cautiously going around the perimeter they established that there was no way in apart from a padlocked gate at the north side of the building.

"Give me a boost," Amanda said to Fin when they passed the gate.

"Rollins, we don't know what's in there," Fin responded.

"And we won't unless we check. Or do you have a better idea?"

Fin looked at her for a moment and then grinned, pulling his knife from his pocket. Inserting it into the padlock he picked the lock he made it click open a few seconds later.

"Wow, where did you learn to do that? Do I need to be worried," Amanda asked, trying to hide her shock and admiration.

"This is the kind of lessons we learned where I grew up," he responded with a smile and giving her a nudge. He pulled open the gate and allowed her to pass through first and they quietly made their way to the wall of the warehouse. The crept along searching for a way to enter, until Amanda tried one of the doors and it swung open. Pulling their flashlights out they proceeded into the darkness, so black it threatened to swallow them up. The place was completely empty, with just some scrap paper left on the floor. They searched the entire building until they came across a room that contained several metal bunk beds.

"Oh my god," Amanda said as she lifted a teddy bear from one of the pillows.

"I think this place was a whore house," Fin said.

Amanda nodded. "I think we need to get CSU in here."

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Charlotte had held the young girl's hand all the way to the hospital. She watched as she was wheeled away by the medical staff. She waited in the emergency room until a doctor came out.

"Doctor, how is she doing?"

"She's pretty hypothermic, we need to get her warmed up a bit before we can deal with her gunshot wounds, and it will be several hours after that before we get her core temperature back to normal."

"But she's going to be ok?"

"We think that she'll make a full recovery. She was lucky."

"Are you able to do a rape kit?"

"Not without her permission and she won't be lucid enough to make that decision for several hours yet. We can take photographs of her injuries though."

"There are more than the visible ones?"

"Her torso is a mess of bruises. We will need to examine her fully to determine the extent of the damage."

Charlotte ran a hand through her long hair. She sighed, then smiled and nodded at the doctor, "thank you. Will you please keep me updated? And let me know when I can see her?"

The doctor nodded and put a hand on her shoulder before returning to his patient. Olivia burst through the automatic doors of the hospital and approached Charlotte who had sunk into the nearest seat. She explained everything the doctor had said never moving her position, with her head in her hands. Olivia placed an arm around her shoulders.

"These types of cases are always tough," Olivia said gently.

"It's just... she's so young," Charlotte replied in a small voice.

"I know, but the best thing we can do for her is find out who did this."

Charlotte looked at Olivia, "I think I want to wait until she's conscious. She shouldn't wake up alone."

Olivia looked at her with an almost pitying look, but didn't argue. She was about to respond when her cell phone rang.

"Benson."

Amanda spoke at the other end, "Liv, I think you should get back here. We've found something."


End file.
